which kayak?

Anybody have a good recommendation for a sit in kayak that can handle 2-3 day camping trips, is under 45 pounds in weight, a capacity of 300 lbs, storage for my gear, and won't break the bank?

pack raft

You may need to bump up weight a bit. My wife and I have Wilderness Tsunami 12.5 kayaks, however they weigh 54 pounds each. We've gone for 2 day overnights on Colorado River below Hoover Dam below Lake Meade. Easy to use, etc. One word of advice is if you haven't used a sit in kayak before, it would be a good idea to learn how to bail out and re-enter the kayak after a capsizing. Make sure to have on board at least one bilge pump plus a paddle float to make re-entry easier. Practice it and become effective with the process because if you capsize in cold water it will take at least 15-20 minutes to pump out the water from the kayak.

Look on Craiglist for a used Old Town Otter (Brand new goes around $299) or some other inexpensive sit-in model that fits you. Then purchase an inexpensive bungy kit for kayaks and install it (takes just minutes). I can fit a long weekends worth of camp and climb gear in and on my little Otter just fine and I think its super light; plus it didnt break the bank at all. Very versatile and simple set up.

Get an inflatable like an Aire Lynx or Tributary Tomcat. The 2-person models easily handle you and all your gear. You’ll get wet and need dry bags for your stuff though even if you don’t turn it over.

I have an O.T. Otter. It's a fine boat for kids or tooling around on a pond, but it's an incredibly inefficient boat for covering real distance. For touring you'll want something at least 12 ft long and IMO 14 ft or more. But expect to pay at least $500 for a used one. And the weight will be in the 50+ range, which isn't as much of an issue as you'd think once you're in the water. More important (again, IMO) is the width of the boat. There's a big difference between a 36" wide boat like the popular Wilderness Systems Pungo and a 29-30" boat. Admittedly the latter is a bit more sensitive to body movement; something to consider if this is your first boat.

TL,DR - Buy nice or buy twice - don't buy a $300, 9 ft department store boat.

Sevylor Colorado inflatable 2 person, they may make a one man version but not sure.

pros:
virtually impossible to capsize and/or sink. Very stable
5 air chambers. inflatable floor and seat cushions.
seats are fully adjustable and comfy with fishing or umbrella holders.
about 45lbs. I think
has attaching mesh bags for gear.
bullet proof double floor.
holds me, wife, kid, dog and day gear, no problem.
rolls right over shallow rocks.
tracks fairly well.
takes 5 minutes to inflate with manual pump.
Can be packed to where ever.
easy to store.
has floor drain
low profile rubber skegs
handles rapids very well
good carry handles
makes a nice one person bed for overnighters.

cons:
harder to control with one person and front ballast weight needed for solo trips.
Takes forever to dry and air out.
takes one person with big backpack to carry kayak, seats, pump, paddles and storage bags. Second person would need to pack all the gear.
expensive i think I paid around $600-700
durability? its an inflatable. mine is still going strong after 2 years.

Gunkiemike wrote:TL,DR - Buy nice or buy twice - don't buy a $300, 9 ft department store boat.

knowbuddy wrote:pack raft

Tyler Sawmiller wrote:Anybody have a good recommendation for a sit in kayak that can handle 2-3 day camping trips, is under 45 pounds in weight, a capacity of 300 lbs, storage for my gear, and won't break the bank?

+1 Pack Raft... Show up and blow up!

vimeo.com/47820741

The jackson rogue is similar to the remix, can handle class 3. You really do not want an otter. If you want to bob down the river get a raft, but it is not the same as kayaking.

I own a packraft, and my thoughts on them have recently shifted. Don't get a packraft for kayaking, simple. If you want to go down a river, or you want to trek into some remote lake and float around, by all means get one.

Without a keel, a packraft is useless for any sort of distance boating. On our last trip I counted, I paddle 6 hard strokes for every one of my girlfriends strokes. After a four mile trip, I was exhausted. Now taken with a grain of salt (literally), that was in regards to a day out in an ocean bay with a mild wind/swell. If only running dead flat water you might be slightly more impressed with a packraft.

While I do love my packraft, and there are certainly trips I would take it on (specifically ones where I'd be porting it), I don't recommend them as the goto craft. I understand it's hard to find a suitable kayak that takes X weight capacity, but look harder.

Also I should mention that with my 50lbs. dog in the front of my packraft, (or your 50lbs. pack) your boat will perform significantly better, tracking in the water, but not enough to warrant its' use.

Now I'm looking for a somewhat lengthy kayak, with a large hull opening to share with my dog, and 350lbs weight capacity/ room to store/strap the camping gear. If you're going to be in the ocean, I would advise getting the highest weight capacity for your boat as possible. If you find a boat that has a 300lbs capacity and your 250lbs and your pack 50lbs, and you get into some choppy water.... you're gonna have a bad day lol, been there.

Oh and if you're gonna get a packraft, get an Alpacka, fuck Sevylor

If you're looking for a sit-on-top kayak take a look at LiquidLogic's Coupe and Deuce Coupe models, and Pyranha's Fusion SOT. All are reasonable choices for Class II-III whitewater, have drop-down skegs that make them pretty efficient on flatwater too, and will carry gear. The Pyranha has a hatch for gear, so may be a bit limited in volume for you. The Coupe has space to lash a big drybag full, and if you really want to haul cargo, the Deuce Coupe (designed for 1 or 2 people) will pretty much carry the kitchen sink.